Waiting on Miura is a bitch

[The Herald]

I want it to stop being so detailed. I feel there's something lost with all of the busyness of the pictures, like the focus is lost. Kind of like with that new film Avatar, it's so detailed that you miss out on the main concept. In Berserk's case that's doubled because of the long wait times. We all enjoy that Berserk is stunning and amazingly crafted, but in some cases it's over done.

My best example (which I can't find right now because I'm on a library computer) are stuff from book 9 vs stuff from book 32, the stuff from book 9 imo had more focus, even if they weren't as detailed.

[Nakadai]

Waiting for new releases does indeed suck. The annoyance of which is only compounded by the fact that by the time anything new is released, i've completely lost touch with whats been happening. Even if you let the releases pile up you're still only left with a handful of chapters and virtually no story progression. At least someday when its all said and done (if either Miura or myself make it that far), it will make for an epic reread.

[Wild Guardian]

Well, just to add something that I think it was not discussed in this conversation. Correct if I'm wrong but...

Don't forget that fan or not, tiresome or not (for the fans or for him to haste his work), that it's Miura's JOB. He gets paid to deliver Berserk. Yeah maybe he's a rich fellow who doesn't needs money anymore.. and I'm not sure about that matter.. but even so he must work, unless not us, but the publisher will not only loses their mind, but money as well.

He doesn't work in a free for fun basis.... even if a lot of fans don't pay a dime to him while reading our beloved scanlations.

Or, even worse, I'd like to see a release schedule planned by him, because when people keep discussing about this from years to come, he drops dead before finishing Berserk, THEN everyone will get sad. (or maybe I die before him, who knows)

...

[papasith]

i wonder if miura has another job, because i cannot imagineing berserk getting him that much revenue with his release scheduele... but then again mabe he has a hella nice contract to write it :\

[The Herald]

I bet ya he gets royalties from the anime, games, and all the other merchandise too. That's another thing to consider, will he still have such a dedicated following in 5 years time if Berserk is still not a book or two ahead? One manga merchant I talked to said that Berserk was his best seller because of the detail and worthwhileness of buying it, but at the same time what will happen when everyone has all the books? Demand will definitley go down. Of course another manga will come along to take its place, but it's still something to think about.

Another thing I thought I'd bring up is that on this thread we all joke about dying before Miura finishes, but that sort of thinking hit me hard today because my brother's truck was totalled with him inside it. Of course I was worried about my brother all day until he came back from the hospital fine-ish, but still, makes you think.

[DarkenRahlX]

Well due to the fact that I actually read novel series that have 2 or 3 year wait periods in between... waiting for a Berserk volumes = cakewalk.

I also wouldn't want Miura's art to degrade just because of the impatience of some of his fans. His artwork and storytelling has vastly improved over the years. Just because he's changed focus from Guts does not mean the story doesn't progress. It's pretty awesome to grab volumes from different years and compare his earlier efforts to what he's become now.

You can't rush a masterpiece. Berserk would have probably been better off as a novel rather than a comic... because Mirua's form of storytelling isn't the kind of style that most anime and manga demographic are accustomed to. Most people in that demographic want minimal character development with fast story progression and simplistic to moderately detailed artwork.

Miura's standards are set so high for his series that I'm almost feel embarrassed for him when I see his series on the manga rack over at Borders butted up against "pop" manga people pass off as storytelling. I don't really know what's out there know-a-days since the only manga I buy is Berserk and I am not too fond of anime... so I don't know if there's anything that comparable to it.

And seriously, if all you do is download scans and haven't supported the series by buying published editions, I'm pretty sure Miura doesn't give a toot about what your opinions or views are on his series. It just boggles my mind how people complain over shit they get for free; be it books, videogames, or music. In my opinion people like that need to jump in the "shut the fuck up truck."

[dialdfordesi]

I think that part of the reason that the chapters are taking so long is because the story's been going in a much broader direction. Back in the day Guts was just chasing down apostles and beating them through his tactics and sheer force of will. Now, there's a boatload more. Farnese is developing her magic under the tutelage of Schierke, Guts has a crew he has to look after, and the biggest factor is what Skellig island will be like. Also, this upcoming fight with the ghost ship will be a cop out if it was a cakewalk and there's gotta be some tension somehow, either through something like Schierke not being able to control the wolf, Guts being weakened by an incomplete recovery, or something like that.

Don't forget that arriving at Elfheim has been highly anticipated, especially with what may happen to Caska. Miura might also be slow to release the chapters because he might be wanting to get it right. If the whole Elfheim thing doesn't sit well with Berserk's readers, Miura stands to lose a bunch of readers since it will be a major plot point. Look at Griffith's rise. Even though it took a while, it was pretty awesome to see Griffith split open Ganishka to not only conquer Midland and keep it safe, but also to merge the physical world with the world of fantasy more closely.

[Triko]

Just forget about Berserk for some time. Half a year to a year has been good to me. There is plenty of other Manga, Anime, Video Games, Books, etc. you can look into while you wait. Life is not all about Berserk, just consider everything else a filler while you wait, and you'll soon realize that time will fly by pretty quickly. I don't visit the forums as much anymore. I think it was a year a go I last posted here. Patience is a great virtue after all.

Interesting enough, I'm sure I've posted here before, but it says I haven't. Oh well. Newbie status is fine.

Aye, it helps to have other hobbies and distractions while waiting on Miura to release a new chapter of Berserk. I also buy the Dark Horse Manga and re-read each volume when they come out to treat my Berserk withdrawal during particurlarly lengthy delays (I've probably re-read each volume of the Berserk series well over half a dozen times).

Still, all these delays have me very concerned that Miura is just gonna give up before the series is completed, he certainly can afford to retire by now. At this point, I wouldn't mind if Miura stopped doing the artwork altogether and just focused on the writing so it wouldn't take another 20 years for the series to finish; or at least hire more artists to fill in the less important details of the drawings.

[Istvan]

Still, all these delays have me very concerned that Miura is just gonna give up before the series is completed, he certainly can afford to retire by now. At this point, I wouldn't mind if Miura stopped doing the artwork altogether and just focused on the writing so it wouldn't take another 20 years for the series to finish; or at least hire more artists to fill in the less important details of the drawings.

Another mangaka probably would do that, but I'm not sure that Miura believes there are any "less important" details. When I look at the level of detail in each and every page, it becomes clear that Miura has a very obsessive personality when it comes to Berserk.

[Starnum]

Just forget about Berserk for some time. Half a year to a year has been good to me. There is plenty of other Manga, Anime, Video Games, Books, etc. you can look into while you wait. Life is not all about Berserk, just consider everything else a filler while you wait, and you'll soon realize that time will fly by pretty quickly. I don't visit the forums as much anymore. I think it was a year a go I last posted here. Patience is a great virtue after all.

Interesting enough, I'm sure I've posted here before, but it says I haven't. Oh well. Newbie status is fine.

Aye, it helps to have other hobbies and distractions while waiting on Miura to release a new chapter of Berserk. I also buy the Dark Horse Manga and re-read each volume when they come out to treat my Berserk withdrawal during particurlarly lengthy delays (I've probably re-read each volume of the Berserk series well over half a dozen times).

Still, all these delays have me very concerned that Miura is just gonna give up before the series is completed, he certainly can afford to retire by now. At this point, I wouldn't mind if Miura stopped doing the artwork altogether and just focused on the writing so it wouldn't take another 20 years for the series to finish; or at least hire more artists to fill in the less important details of the drawings.

You know, I've often thought that myself. I mean, any one of us could up and die tomorrow, and never get to see the end. How sucky would that be? I mean, I'm still pretty young, so I'm hoping to live another 20 years to see the end of Berserk, but it would be nice if he could speed things up a bit. I think taking on some apprentices would help, like you were saying, even one extra artists would be nice. However, like Istvan said, I can't see him doing that. Don't get me wrong, I don't want him to compromise the art, but even the way he drew back during the Golden Age was good enough for me, or at the latest the Retribution Arc. I don't want him to rush the ending, but I do want him to make it to the end. If he could some how expedite things, that'd be awesome. It's by prolonging the process, that I fear he will grow tired of it, and then rush the ending anyway, and it wouldn't turn out as well. I imagine he's made a lot of money off of Berserk, and probably could already retire. So it's not like he has to be doing this. Though I do also imagine him taking it seriously, and considering Berserk as his own personal masterpiece. So hopefully he will continue on with it and do his best. Maybe he should just focus on the plot a little more though, I don't know. It seems like he's content to spread Berserk out through-out the majority of his life though, heh. Thankfully I'm younger than he is, but he might not live as long as he thinks he will. Heh, I think about these things. I imagine he already knows how it's going to end. I wonder if he's told anyone. What if he dies before he finishes it? Will someone else be able to finish it for him? Even worse, it wouldn't be as good if they didn't know what he had planned. Well, here's hoping for the best! XD

[bhaal]

...Or, even worse, I'd like to see a release schedule planned by him, because when people keep discussing about this from years to come, he drops dead before finishing Berserk, THEN everyone will get sad. (or maybe I die before him, who knows)...

I think this a though that start lurking in the corners of our minds, fans of Berserk, as we grown old:
will this end before Miura or I die?
After 14 years I heard of Berserk for first time, and two times I was thinking i was going to feed the worms, It come to my mind every time a new chapter come out.
And also make me to underestand why so some fans are angry to Miura, the tought of leaving things unfinished, mean in your real/personal life or in a manga you have spend this much time can make angry anyone.
But after reading the chapters as they coming out I got my answer "Yes, the waiting was worth".
Now I only hope to find, when my time to go to the Interstice come, the "Complete works of Kentaro Miura" ( In very very high quality) in the great library that reigns the Interstice .

[Romdeau]

Seriously if Miruia keels over before finishing this, I will follow him into the afterlife and make him finish it. I'm sure many would come with me.

[Rolos]

Dear sir, you're mad.
Dying just so I can finish reading a comic book? Idiocy.
Breaking every single law of nature, tampering into god's domain, attempting to handle forces no mortal could possibly even grasp, much less comprehend, creating a crude mockery of life, and, as strange eons pass, killing death itself, just so I can finish a goddamn comic?
...
Count me in!

PROJECT LAZARUS begins the very moment Miura decides to go off and die without finishing what he started.
I need my Berserk, dammit!

P.S. All biological majors, please go to the nearest recruitment center. God won't play himself, you know.

[BaNaN]

Soon 3 month again

[2Fast4]

While Berserk is still the best manga in my opinion, the long delays between chapters do affect my interest in it. During the times of regular releases I really enjoyed Berserk and waited curiously for the next chapter. But since it's so irregular for quite some time now I just don't care much about it anymore. I'll just check here every 1-2 month to see if sth. has happened. And if there actually is a new chapter I read it, but without connecting to the story as well as some years ago. From what I see it's similar for the entire activity on this forum. Since the long intermissions became the norm the activity and number of ppl. here has gone down.

[Aazholh]

Well for a while, it has been episodes of two-page spreads with epic artwork. Miura was trying to depict a pivotal moment in his world where everything changes once again. Now we get to look forward to a lot of fleshing out of the story - the aftermath of Fantasia (how will the Midland nobles react to Griffith being completely in charge?) What will Guts find when he follows that bartender? What is the mystery regarding the island they're currently on? We're going to find out in the coming episodes. That is exciting part about waiting.

[newbified]

Excitement fades. By the time the new chapter is released, I'll have to go back to 312 just to refresh where they're carrying the story on from.

There's only been 3 chapter releases this year and we're halfway through May. and eleven of those twenty weeks have been in anticipation for this latest chapter. I was actually relatively optimistic about the release schedule once this year started rolling and Berserk chapters were plentiful.

Being a crybaby about it won't help or anything. I guess I really just miss what it was like when we had a rather regular two week release schedule. Or even before that, what it was like when I had around twenty volumes to read through when I started Berserk 10 years ago.

[Aazholh]

Excitement fades. By the time the new chapter is released, I'll have to go back to 312 just to refresh where they're carrying the story on from.

There's only been 3 chapter releases this year and we're halfway through May. and eleven of those twenty weeks have been in anticipation for this latest chapter. I was actually relatively optimistic about the release schedule once this year started rolling and Berserk chapters were plentiful.

Being a crybaby about it won't help or anything. I guess I really just miss what it was like when we had a rather regular two week release schedule. Or even before that, what it was like when I had around twenty volumes to read through when I started Berserk 10 years ago.

I can understand how you feel about "the wait." I just don't let it get to me. I'm 34 years-old; I've realized that time passes far too quickly than I would like it to. I'm hopeful that one day, in the not so distant future, Berserk will be completed.

[Starnum]

Instead of following Miura into the afterlife to get the rest of the story, I might have an easier solution. We just need to find a powerful telepath, and get them to read his mind and tell us what happens next!

[Rolos]

No, I insist, necromancy is the way to go.
It would be fun, interesting and an act of scientific recklessness the likes of which have never been seen before!
What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing!

[Aazholh]

Instead of following Miura into the afterlife to get the rest of the story, I might have an easier solution. We just need to find a powerful telepath, and get them to read his mind and tell us what happens next!

Or storm his place and find the outlines for the story; I'm sure he's got sketches and other goodies regarding the future of Berserk.

[Istvan]

Instead of following Miura into the afterlife to get the rest of the story, I might have an easier solution. We just need to find a powerful telepath, and get them to read his mind and tell us what happens next!

Or storm his place and find the outlines for the story; I'm sure he's got sketches and other goodies regarding the future of Berserk.

Outlines and sketches are not enough! They cannot encompass the wonderfullness that is Berserk. I'm with Rolos on this one; should Miura have the misfortune/bad taste to die before completing Berserk, necromancy is clearly the way to go. Plus, as an undead he wouldn't need "rest" or "sleep" or "breaks," we could just force him to work on Berserk 24/7!

[bhaal]

Rolos, count with me in the PROJECT LAZARUS (for Miura), but what if any of us die?
Personally, if I were to return from dead, I will prefer to return as something like an Apostle

And if sciense/Project Lazarus fails to return Miura to us, we always can count with the invaluable advice of Charles Dexter Ward and his vast knowldge of the occult (just be sure to pick up the right one).

[Sandman]

So to shine some light on this blasphemous topic... Vol 32 is out in US
Point of interest though; there is no to little swearing in the US versions which is weird... I remember there being more swearing

[Istvan]

So to shine some light on this blasphemous topic... Vol 32 is out in US
Point of interest though; there is no to little swearing in the US versions which is weird... I remember there being more swearing

Probably just a matter of how the translator decided to translate it; since Japanese doesn't technically have any swear words, when to put them in for a translation can be fairly subjective.

Or so I understand; I don't actually know Japanese.